


Give A Little Time to Understand Our Specialness

by FortuitousTurnipHarvest



Category: Powerpuff Girls
Genre: Angst, Badass, Best Friends, Crushes, Cuties, Enemies, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Family, Fluff, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Love, Pining, Romance, University, Violence, but nothing graphic, relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:55:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 16,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26839327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FortuitousTurnipHarvest/pseuds/FortuitousTurnipHarvest
Summary: Best Friends. Childhood Crushes. Rivals.After a destined meeting, the PowerPuff Girls and the RowdyRuff Boys have been tied together through school, work, and daily life. Boomer and Bubbles have an adorable mutual crush, Butch and Buttercup are best friends who share a brain cell, Brick and Blossom can't seem to get over their childhood rivalry.An omniscient third-person story that dives into each character's relationship with the others. Watch out for that apocalypse ending though :)
Relationships: Boomer/Bubbles Utonium, Brick/Blossom Utonium, Butch/Buttercup Utonium
Comments: 14
Kudos: 80





	1. Prologue

“Boomer!” Bubbles cried out before the building collapsed. Her screams were overtaken by concrete slamming against the street. As tears streamed down his face, Boomer took off towards her last sounds. He disappeared into the rubble. 

The sky grew darker as black-green clouds swirled down to touch another block of buildings. Minutes later, the tornado lifted to reveal collapsed buildings. Exposed rebar and concrete flew into the sky, raining down on the street nearby. 

“Butch, please! Wake up!” Buttercup was shaking an unconscious Butch as he laid on the ground. A gash on the side of his head said that he wouldn’t be waking up. 

Blossom gaped at the scene. People swarmed around them, screaming as thunder and lightning chased them towards her. She was pushed over, skinning her knees as she hit the sidewalk. Another man trampled her, kicking her in the stomach. She crawled over to the patch of grass, searching for a red cap amongst them all. 

“Brick?!” She called. No response. “Brick!”

Her only answer came as the hat fell from the clouds above, landing by her feet. She snatched it up, hugging it to her chest. It smelled of lavender and ozone. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.  _ Please, let this nightmare be over. Just end us already!  _


	2. Beach

Bubbles screeched as she backed away from the creature. It came towards her fast, faster than she wanted it to. She was on the verge of tears as someone ran up and smashed it with the bottom of their shoe. The cockroach laid unmoving in the sand.

“Are you okay?” A young boy leaned over her, extending a hand. He had curly blonde hair, dark blue eyes, and a big toothy smile. She sniffed, wiping her nose against the sleeve of her swimming top.

“I-I just really don’t like bugs.” She took his hand and he pulled her up.    


“I don’t blame you, those things are  _ gross. _ ” Bubbles giggled as he stuck his tongue out and shook his head. The tears were gone as he laughed along with her.

“My name is Boomer.”

“I’m Bubbles.”

“Do you like turtles?”

“ _ I love turtles _ .”

“I found some baby turtles down at the end of the beach. Want to go see them?”

Bubbles gasped. She was so excited, she couldn’t even answer. She just ran towards the end of the beach as he dashed after her.

Near a grouping of giant rocks and tall grass, laid the white shells of baby sea turtles. Their little bodies were rushing to the water’s edge as fast as possible. Bubbles and Boomer squatted down, watching the little parade. Unfortunately, there was a flock of birds overhead watching from the trees. One tried to swoop down and snatch a baby, but Boomer jumped up and smacked it away.

“Bad birds!” Bubbles shot up into the air, scaring the birds from the tree and chasing them away.  _ AH, sorry!  _ They called back to her as they flew off over the dunes. She floated back down to the beach, beaming at the turtles. Boomer looked at her in awe. 

“You’re so badass!”

“Isn’t that a bad word?”

“My brother taught me it, it means super cool.” Boomer beamed as Bubbles turned away blushing. Then they remembered the turtles and sat down, watching over them as they peacefully escaped to the ocean.

“Whadda means I can’t have a whole pizza? I’m gonna eat it all.”

“Sorry kid, gotta at least have one other person with you to order since you’re under 12.”

“Well that’s a dumb age to trust, I know 5-year-olds who are more mature.”

“Not my rules, kid, so come back when-” “I’m with her.”

Buttercup whipped around and cocked her head up. A tall boy with a black mohawk grinned down at her, and with a wink stepped up to the counter.

“What’s your name?”

“Butch and this is my friend…” he paused as he stared at the girl, trying to psychically source it out. She leaned towards him, hoping that would help. “Bee.”

“Butch and Bee?”

“Yep. And actually, can you make it two pizzas? Gotta share with my brothers.”

The manager of the snack shack looked between the two, suspicion rising. But he knew that he couldn’t deny them anymore and went to grab the food. Buttercup offered a fist to the boy and he pounded it. The two giggled as they put the money on the counter and ran off with the pizza boxes.

“Dude, good thing you went before me, I had no idea that was a rule.” 

“Thanks for coming up there, I don’t think I could convince my dad to let me eat a whole pizza on my own.”

“Same! Can’t let my brothers see or they’ll want some.”

“Want to go eat behind the dunes over there? I’ll grab some drinks from our towel.”

“Perfect.”

“Oh, by the way, my name is really Buttercup.”

“That’s long, I’m gonna keep calling you Bee.”

Buttercup shrugged, not wanting to argue with her partner-in-crime. The two snuck over the napping professor, swiped the last two grape pops, and hiked their way over the dunes. 

  
  
  
  
  


Blossom loved the beach. The cool water, hot sand, fresh breeze: the perfect environment for their family on vacation. The professor would be asleep by now, only having just started his book. Buttercup would be eating all of the snacks and then running up the dunes. Bubbles...well, Bubbles was either trying to collect shells or looking for small animals to talk to. Either, way, she’d be happy as long as she didn’t run into any bugs.

_ What am I going to do?  _ Blossom thought to herself, she had already been sitting on the edge of the water for half an hour, simply watching the waves come in and out. It was soothing, and made the sand it touched fun to play with.  _ A sandcastle.  _

From there, she gathered her buckets and shovels and went to work. She carried the wet sand far enough in so the waves wouldn’t touch it. Then, she built a moat around her estimated property. As she finished, she looked up and noticed a boy trying to build a castle on the edge of the water. However, each time the waves rolled up, a part of the wall came down with it.

“Ugh! Would you just stop! I’m working here!” He shouted at the water, forcing Blossom to raise an eyebrow. She watched as the boy continued to rebuild the same corner only for it to be ruined. She sighed and walked over to him

“If you build it further inland, it won’t sink into the sea.” She leaned over him. He jumped, throwing sand into the air. As the shock quickly wore off, he crossed his arms over his chest. 

“Why should I listen to you? I’m just fine right here.” As he said that, a large wave came and took the building with it. He glared at the wet pile as though it would rebuild itself through anger. It did not.

She smirked, crossing her arms. “Work smarter, not harder. You’re welcome to join me up there.” She pointed by where her foundation was developed. He just huffed, turning back to his failed building. Rolling her eyes, she went back up to her spot and tried to work.

Eventually, she watched as the backwards red cap marched up the beach and settled about ten feet to the right. She smiled at him, only earning a glare instead.  _ Fine, be that way.  _

It was only about ten minutes before sand flew into her wall. Brick had moved closer, too close, and was digging up what she had already been working on. Her nostrils flared as she dashed up to him. He stood, ready to argue for his sand. 

“Would you stop! This is my area, outlined by the moat.” She pointed at the deep indent just outside of where he was working. 

“The moat does not distinguish property lines!”

“It does too! The beach is huge why don’t you just go farther that-”

“Blossom!” “Brick!”

The two gasped, not even realizing that they hadn’t learned their names before they were ready to physically fight. Buttercup and Butch ran up, laughing, sand covering their entire bodies.

“What happened to you?” Blossom asked.

“We tried to see who could get down the dunes faster, but we got covered in grape pop before we did. But to be the fastest, you had to roll, so yeah. Sticky and sandy.”

Buttercup tried to give Blossom a hug, but she dashed behind Brick. He held out his arms, trying to keep his sticky brother away from him. The two dark-haired sand monsters laughed maniacally, chasing the two around their lots.

“Blossom!” “Brick!”

Boomer and Bubbles came barreling towards them, stepping into Brick’s lot. He groaned and threw his arms up.

“See, this is why I need to be farther right!”

“No, you should be moving North, away from me.”

“Are you two building a sand castle together?” Bubbles asked.

“No!” Both of them yelled.

“You know, we could build the ultimate castle if you let us join in,” Butch offered.

“Yeah! I’ll grab a couple of buckets of water.” Buttercup grabbed the buckets and went to the water’s edge.

“We’ll grab branches and leaves and shells to decorate.” Bubbles dragged Boomer off to the grass and trees.

“I’ll scoop up more wet sand and move it over.” Butch grabbed the last bucket and went to follow Buttercup.”

Brick and Blossom stood stunned. Their separate castles had become a group project. Blossom sighing, fixing her hair clip, before asking, “Temporary truce?”

“Fine.” The two shook hands before digging a new moat around both of their lots. Blossom laughed as Brick made jokes about his “dumb brothers ruining the competitive spirit.” As they completed the moat, Buttercup filled it with gallons of water. Butch assembled solid walls and spires. Boomer and Bubbles didn’t fail with the decor as the shells formed a beautiful outer wall, the sticks and leaves created a flag for each spire, and the rocks built a bridge leading over the moat. 

The six stepped back to view their masterpiece, a castle taller than themselves and easily the best one any of the beach goers had seen. Many people gathered around to take pictures and admire the castle. The professor walked up, coming up behind the team.

“Girls, I am impressed, this is beautiful.”

“Couldn’t have done it without our new friends,” Bubbles directed to the three boys. Boomer waved, Butch winked, Brick crossed his arms and smirked.

“Well that’s fantastic!” The Professor was glad his girls were making new friends. He was a little curious how they found three kids that looked similar to each other, but those were just his perfect girls for you. “Let’s get a picture of you all.”

The six sat in front of the castle, with big smiles on their faces, as The Professor snapped a picture. 


	3. Interviews

Interviews. While the girls didn’t entirely mind them, they weren’t dying to get in front of a camera and answer the same questions they’ve been asked for the past 13 years. Although, hanging out in the green room before their entrance made Buttercup believe they were worth it.

“They’ve got cosmic brownies, awesome.” She helped herself, filling her plate with sweets. Blossom knew not to bother scolding her, picking out some cherry tomatoes and cucumber sandwiches. 

“I don’t know how you can eat before these. I get so nervous my stomach gets butterflies.”

“You know there’s not actual butterflies, right?” Buttercup asked with her mouth stuffed with half a brownie. 

“Oh there are, they tell me to drink juice afterwards to sooth them.” Bubbles rubbed her stomach as Buttercup and Blossom exchanged a look. Knowing her, she might’ve coaxed one of them to fly down in there. 

“Alright ladies, 10 minutes,” a staff member called into the room. Buttercup went back to shoving as many brownies as possible before Blossom made her stop. Blossom nibbled on the sandwich as she checked her phone: a new comment on her last instagram post.

_ Beautiful butterfly Blossom, you just flew into my heart.  _ Blossom’s cheeks heated up as she read the message from Kevin. Blossom and him had their legal writing class together and hit it off. She was hoping he would ask her out soon, especially before the christmas season. Bubbles saw her blushing and took her phone, showing it to Buttercup.

“Hey!”

“You should just ask him out already,” Buttercup commented. Bubbles took back the phone, liking the comment. Blossom snatched it from her, groaning.

“Well why don’t you just ask out Boomer? It's been how many years?”

“I’m waiting for him because he could use the experience. He’s got to learn to put himself out there, like yourself.” 

“I put myself out there,” she defended.

“Telling him you like his shirt doesn’t count,” Buttercup countered. Blossom didn’t have a comeback. The stagehand came into the room and motioned them out onto the stage. Blossom was grateful for the excuse to get out of there, setting her phone on the vanity. 

A second stagehand came in from the backroom, taking the phone off the table. They removed the case, fitting it onto a new one. With Blossom’s real phone in hand, they exited back through the door.

  
  
  


“And what sports do you girls play?”

“I’m in equestrian! I love riding horses and talking to the horses and playing with their hair.” Bubbles giggled as she thought of Sugar’s woven mane from their last competition.

“I do bowling. I found a sport that lets me sit and eat snacks while also chucking a ball as hard as I can. Plus, it makes a really loud noise.” Buttercup doesn’t sound like a great player, but the effort she puts into aiming and the competitive spirit with her team make her the ultimate 5th position.

“And I love to figure skate. The patterns, the outfits, the music. It gives me a sense of serenity on the ice.” Blossom’s composure and focus gives her an edge on skates. “Oh, and all three of us do track and field in the spring, just to keep ourselves in shape on the off seasons.”

“Now, because you all have superpowers, do you think it's fair to be competing against those without?”

“As we’ve aged, we’ve lost most of the general abilities we’ve shared. Flight, speed, x-ray vision, it's all worn off throughout the years and we’ve grown to full strength in one ability unique to each of us.”

“Do you want to share that with the audience?” The interviewer motioned to the camera.

Blossom giggled. “We’ll keep that secret until we need to fight any villains.” She held up a finger to her mouth and winked.

  
  
  


“Wow, those girls are amazing,” The man who Brick was serving said, watching the interview as it was televised live. He groaned, earning a funny look before he went back off to the bartop counter. He leaned over next to where Boomer was sitting with elbows resting on the countertop.

“What’s so amazing about those girls? We can do all the same things.”

“They’re adorable,” Boomer sighed, staring up at the screen. Bubbles was again talking about her horse, mostly how cute he was.

“They use their powers for good, unlike us.” Butch joined the two after collecting the dishes. Buttercup was describing their last big battle with Mojo Jojo, throwing fists and kicking out. He cackled as she fell out of her chair, where she continued to describe the fight. 

“Just because you two are infatuated with them doesn’t mean everyone else has to be.”

“What’s your deal, Brick? Why do you hate them so much?” Butch paused. “Or specifically, why Blossom?” 

“Where do I even begin?” The entrance doorbell chimed but Brick ignored it as he pulled up the list in his head. “Full of herself, acts smarter than she is, strict, and she always has to be wearing that big red-”

“Talking about yourself, are we?”

Brick whipped around to find the three girls of his anguish standing in front of him. Buttercup and Bubbles flanked a smirking Blossom, with her hair pulled back into that iconic red bow. Brick almost snarled as his brothers stood behind him snickering. 

“Boys, we’ll take the corner booth,” Blossom announced as the trio strutted to their usual spot. 

“Why do they  _ always _ have to come  _ here? _ ”

“Well, we do have the best milkshakes in Townsville. Right Ollie?” Butch fingergunned the chef in the kitchen who mirrored him back. “Put in an order for a strawberry, chocolate, and peanut butter, ‘kay?”

“You have their order memorized?!”

“Of course, but sometimes Buttercup orders the soup instead of the fries so I always have to ask,” Butch said nonchalantly before going off to check in on his tables.

“And occasionally Bubbles will want honey mustard instead of ranch,” Boomer added as he walked into the kitchen.

Brick stood there, wondering if he knew the girls’ order. He cursed at himself for even trying to remember before grabbing their milkshakes and heading to the table. He divided them: chocolate to Buttercup, strawberry to Bubbles, and peanut butter to Blossom.

“Alright, ladies, what will it be?” 

“Chicken pita please! Oh and honey mustard instead of ranch.” Bubbles adjusted her fluffy jacket around her, looking like she was sitting in a cloud. 

“Three patty melts, and a side of fries.” Buttercup pulled up her boots onto the booth 

“Gotcha, be right back.” He started to turn before Blossom cleared her throat.

“What about me?”

“French toast with a side of bacon, no powdered sugar, add strawberries.”  _ Why do I know that?  _ Blossom gaped and Brick gasped.  _ Wait, I shouldn’t know that. _

“Beautiful job, Brick. Now hurry off that order to the kitchen,” Buttercup ordered. Brick used the command to scurry back behind the counter as he heard the group snickering behind him.  _ Great job, Brick, way to stick it to them.  _

  
  


When he could hide no longer, Brick left the kitchen only to bring the food to the girls. He had to be the one to do it because his brothers couldn’t be found. But he quickly realized that they had joined the girls at the circle table with their own milkshakes. Granted, the diner closed in half an hour and the other patrons had left. 

“Hey, bro, we got you a milkshake too.” Butch pushed the cookies and cream shake towards him. Brick placed their plates in front of the girls, taking a place next to Buttercup. He felt any awkwardness leave as they jumped back into their argument.

“If we went as a group costume, you know it’ll have to be the Scooby-Doo gang.”

“Nah man, Teen Titans.”

“We could be artsy and make White Claw can dresses.”

“What about us?” Butch asked.

“Don’t tell me you couldn’t pull off a Lemon cocktail dress,” Buttercup insisted.

“You right.” They fist-bumped across the table.

“How about Among Us suits?” Brick offered. “We all pick a color, decorate space suits, paint helmets.” Nods of approval went around the table.

“As long as I can be pink, I think it would be fun.” Blossom smiled at Brick and he felt the urge to retort. Buttercup raised an eyebrow at her right before Brick received a swift kick to the shin. He knocked over the last third of his shake, causing the group to jump up so to not be splashed.

“OW, what the f-”

“Sorry, I thought you were Buttercup!”

“Hey, what did I do-”

“Goodnight guys and gals!” Ollie called from the front door.

“Night Ollie!” The group called, acting on their best behavior. Brick checked his watch, and saw it was closing time. He grabbed the cloth from his apron and cleaned up the mess. Everyone except Blossom stood up and moved to clean the dishes from the table.

“I’m sorry, Brick, I promise I wasn’t aiming for you.” He wanted to yell at her, but gave him the most 

He huffed instead. “I’ll survive, helps toughen me up for hockey season anyways.” She smiled, helping him wipe down the other tables with his second cloth. They worked silently, a mutual peace that was rare between them. 

“When does your second job start?” She asked, after they had cleaned the whole dining area. 

He checked his watch. “Shoot, 25 minutes. Gotta get to the other side of town.”

“Want a ride over? My bike is just next door.”

“That’d be amazing. Let me just grab my jacket from the back.” He dashed back into the kitchen, tearing off his apron and Lenny’s Diner branded t-shirt. He tossed the two into the basket in the back corner. Pulling the shirt and jacket off the rack, he was out of the kitchen before the four washing dishes even knew he was there.

“Alright,” he said, pulling on his Pizza Pie Lab polo. Blossom stared at his chest as the polo covered his toned muscles. She shook her head, moving out the front door before he caught her colored cheeks. 

Outside, they walked over to the parking lot next door. Blossom took out her keys, opening the back case of her motorcycle. Brick could call her lame for a lot of her habits, but he was beyond impressed that she rode her Ducati everywhere. That won bonus points in his mind.

“Here you go, can’t go mussing up that hair when you can use it for tips.” She handed him a helmet, which forced him to take the hat off. He stored it in the case for the drive. 

“Don’t you need one too?”

“I’ll make it a couple miles without it.” She hopped on, patting the spot behind her. He swung his legs over, tucking his knees behind her. He rode with Butch a few times, but not with her yet. He tentatively placed his hands on her waist, noticing how slim she was. As the bike lurched forward, he wrapped his whole arms around her. She laughed as she picked up speed and barrelled down the street.

They settled into a steady speed on the freeway as Brick grew more comfortable. Even through the helmet, he could pick up Blossom’s sweet perfume. Honeysuckle. If it wasn’t for his random botany class this semester, he would’ve just guessed floral. It suited her well. 

They began to slow down as the neon sign for the Lab appeared before them. Pulling to a stop at the front door, Brick noticed they had two minutes to spare. He swung back over, pulling his arms from the locked position around her. 

“Thank you for the ride, the next milkshake is on me” He handed her the helmet. He couldn’t help but notice her hair was perfect, even after flying in the wind.

“Oh no, it's on Buttercup for the rest of the year. Part of a deal we made a couple months ago, so don’t let her get out of it.”

He chuckled, “Deal. See you around, Blossom.” He gave a curt wave before slipping into the pizza place. She bit her lip, trying not to smile as she thought about how he said her name. Shaking her head, she put on her helmet and started to drive off. It was hard to forget about him as his shampoo had left a lingering Old Spice scent.


	4. Dorms

Boomer sat, tapping his pencil to the beat of  _ Dynamite _ . His Cold War history professor was droning on about something something Stalin. He was more interested in thinking about Bubbles. If there was only one thing he purposely thought about, it was Bubbles. What meme he wanted to show her, call her a new cute name in Korean, listen to her complain about riding conditions, or even just wave at her on the way to their next class. 

The bell rang, popping his Bubbles thoughts, and exited the classroom. Across the hall, Butch and Bubbles were chatting away. Boomer smiled, walking up to them.

“And then he was like ‘You can write your paper on animal psychology, but I’m not quite sure how it applies to food chemistry.’” Bubbles finished her rant.

“I mean,” Butch started to explain why Bubbles was completely in the wrong, but thankfully Boomer approached. “Hey, bro, what’s up?”

“Finished Cold War for the week, can’t believe that wasn’t about Blossom’s ice powers.” Bubbles giggled. Boomer’s heart pounded. Butch raised an eyebrow, motioning to Bubbles, and mouthing  _ Halloween Party.  _ Boomer nodded, with a  _ thanks  _ in return.

“Well, see you kids later,” Butch said, heading to his next class.

“Bubbles.” Boomer adjusted the straps of his backpack, suddenly becoming very interested with the floor tiles. He took a deep breath in, and let it go.  _ Just like I practiced, just like Butch said. _

“Do you want to go to the Boo-Bash with me?” The words rushed together but they came out.

“Yeah, I’d love to,” she replied calmly. Internally, they were both screaming  _ It’s finally happening! _

“Awesome, wanna walk to your next class together?”

“Sure.” Down the long hallway they went, blushing bright red. 

  
  
  
  


“He finally did it!” The door slammed open as Bubble’s high pitched cry sounded through the room. Blossom jumped and her stitch on the machine wobbled. After working on the costumes for almost five hours, she sighed at the delay; although, it was on Brick’s so she wasn’t too upset.

“Who did what?” Buttercup asked, hanging upside down off the couch. Scrolling on her phone, she had been sitting that way for almost an hour. 

“Boomer asked me to the Boo-Bash!” She tossed her bag to the floor and flopped onto the couch, landing on Buttercup’s torso with an  _ oomph! _ Blossom chuckled.

“That’s wonderful, Bubbles. I’m glad he finally got the nerve up.” Blossom got to work undoing the messed up stitching.

“Well, Butch helped him...a lot. I think I heard him practicing over the phone the other night. But whatever, I’ll take it.” Bubbles giggled, hugging Buttercup’s thighs. She earned a glare but showed no signs of stopping. “How’re the suits coming, Blossom? I’m surprised you were willing to make them all yourself?”

“It’s a great stress reliever, especially since I can’t use my phone.”

“It's still not turning on?”

“No, I’m not sure what happened. It's been on the charger for days.” She turned to the pink covered phone sitting on the table beside her. “I’m going to take it in tomorrow, but I’m not sure what exactly they can do. I might just have to order a new one.

“Yikes,” Buttercup said. “The worst part is not being able to talk to Kevin, right?”

Blossom’s cheeks burned. “Listen, it’s been a week. It's not the end of the world.”

“How have you lived without your phone for that long?” Buttercup asked. She was lost without it for an hour.

“I keep everything up to date in my planner and check my email on my laptop at the beginning of every hour,” Blossom explained. Each page was color coded, in a timeline, all in erasable ink so it could be edited on the spot. Her sisters didn’t understand, as they mostly used her to tell them where they needed to be. “An organized planner is the start to an organized day.”

“Whatever,” Buttercup mumbled.

“Like right now, how Bubbles needs to start heading to her psych class, I have an hour until my student government meeting, and you are supposed to be at bowling tryouts right now.”

Eyes wide, Buttercup, shot up from the couch, knocking Bubbles back. She sprinted to the door, slipping on her windbreaker and a random pair of crocs. “See ya!” She called back as the front door opened and slammed shut.

“You’re welcome,” Blossom smirked, getting back to working on the red costume.

  
  
  


Jogging down the leaf coated sidewalk, Butch admired the beautiful fall morning. It was around 60°, the sun was just coming up, and he had already met a terrier named Walter. As he finished the last mile, he rounded the corner towards his dorm hall. An unexpected sight was Blossom heading to her bike.

“Awesome Blossom, what’s up?” Butch approached her.

“Hi Butch, I have an appointment this morning.”

“For what?”

“My phone,” she said, holding up the black screen. “It's not turning on, and it's been over a week so I figured it was time to take it in.”

“Gotcha. Hey, are you meeting that guy at the Boo-Bash?”

“How did you... _ Buttercup _ .” She sighed. “His name is Kevin Wall.”

“I know him,” Butch huffed. “He’s on the rugby team with me.”

“Oh yes, he is. I forgot.”

“Do you really like this dude?”

Blossom stared at the ground, trying to come up with a way to brush him off. Except Butch was really good at reading people, especially her. He kept that psychology brain on at all times, especially since his main job was coaching.

Blossom gave in. “I really do. We met in Legal Writing and were put into the same group. He’s smart and witty and...attractive.”

“That never hurts.”

"No, no it doesn't."  
  
He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Listen, I think you should watch out. He doesn't have the best reputation on the team and I don't want you to get hurt."

"I...It's not that serious, we've only been texting a little bit and haven't even gone on a date."

"Right, just...talk to me if anything comes up. Or Brick."

"Brick?" She scoffed. "Yeah, like I'm going to talk about boys with the most immature one I know."

"He's got like three jobs and is studying management, he's not the silly selfish boy he was when you met him." Blossom's eyebrows drew in together. When Butch said it like that, she realized he was right. They stopped arguing every time they saw each other, he was willing to accept help, and it was nice to see him passionate about his studies. 

“I’m worried about Blossom,” Butch said as he entered their shared dorm.

“Why do you say?” Brick was stirring something in a big pot on the stove, tasting it with a wooden spoon. He hummed softly, grabbing spices from a cabinet.

“The dude she likes, total douchebag. I’ve never felt right around him.” He slipped off his tennis shoes, putting on a pair of crocs.

“She doesn’t have a good taste in men then.” He tasted it again, more pleased with the result. Butch stepped over, peeking into the pot. Applesauce, speckled with cinnamon and nutmeg, smelled delicious, especially after a cool morning run. 

“Well, I’m just saying to keep an eye out if you hear her talking about him, okay?” He dipped a spoon into the pot. With a big scoop tasting, he nodded his head. “This is good, what’s the occasion?” 

“Fall, and hoping to get an extension with a professor.” He smacked Butch’s hand as he tried to dive back in for a second scoop. “And why do I have to look out for Blossom? She’s a big girl.”

“But she’s got a big heart to go with it. You can see that at least.” 

Brick stared at the stove, pondering. Butch patted his shoulder before heading over to the bathroom to shower before class.


	5. Boo-Bash

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes: So here’s the color of their suits, in case y’all were wondering.  
> Brick - red  
> Blossom - pink  
> Boomer - yellow  
> Bubbles - cyan  
> Butch - black  
> Buttercup - light green

“Alright, let’s get a couple of group pictures while everyone looks good!” Blossom called, dragging her friends over to where the giant pumpkin wall was. 

The six rolled up to the fair looking perfect, Blossom made sure of it. Buttercup tucked her plastic blaster into her belt. Butch flipped his helmet windshield down over his sunglasses. Boomer and Bubbles were holding hands, figuring out what rides they wanted to go on together. Brick was eyeing the food stands, looking for the one that sells deep fried Oreos. 

A few fun and cute poses later, Blossom took her phone back from the stranger. She turned to the group, hands on her hips.

“So, does everyone have the emergency numbers on them?” Each of them rolled up their right sleeves, with three phone numbers written in Sharpie on it: Blossom’s, Butch’s, and campus police. “Beautiful. Stay safe, and I’ll see you at the rugby house tonight.”

“Rock ‘n Roll first?” Boomer asked Bubbles, who nodded vigorously. They waved to Blossom as they dashed off towards the big ride in the back of the park.

Butch leaned down to Buttercup, whispering in her ear. “NO WAY!” She shouted as she whipped around. Squinting, she focused on the giant plushies above the game booths. “Race you!” They took off sprinting. 

“What are you up to, Pink?” Brick asked.

“I’m waiting for Kevin to show up, we’re meeting at the fair before the party tonight.” She looked down at her new phone, waiting for a text. 

“Gotcha, well I’m going to find the nearest fried Oreos,” he said, thumbing towards the food stands.

She scrunched up her nose. “You actually eat those?”

“Yeah, they’re freaking delicious.”

“Well, you have fun with them.” She glanced back down at her phone.

“I will.” As he walked away, he kept turning back. She stood by the wall, looking around. Crowds passed by her, and Brick hoped that Kevin would be in one of them. 

  
  
  


After about half an hour of hunting, he finally found the delicious little morsels. They took some haggling with the stand owner, explaining that yes, he was going to eat all twelve that he asked for. He found himself wandering around the food stalls, back through to the pumpkin wall. Blossom was sitting on a hay bale, sadly staring down at the ground. Occasionally, a person would pass by and wave; she’d smile and say hello, but as soon as they left it was back to sad looks.

“I swear,” Brick plopped down next to her. “You have to try one of these.”

Shock rose up on her face, as she quickly wiped at her red eyes. Hesitantly she reached into the paper bag, pulling out one of the cookies. Biting down slowly, he watched closely for her reaction. She squinted her eyes, then they lit up. 

“See?”

“Okay, I’ll give you this one. It’s pretty good.”

“It's fantastic, don’t knock them.” He took out one, shoving it fully into his mouth. She laughed at him, continuing to nibble on her treat. They sat in comfortable silence, watching a bus of middle schoolers trample the front gate workers. 

“Kevin isn’t coming. Sarah sent me a picture of him making out with Hannah Rogers at the frisbee pregame,” she said softly. He offered the bag and she took another one.

“Well, Kevin’s a douche for choosing Hannah Rogers over you. And for playing frisbee.” She smiled, but he knew that it was painful. Blossom had a soft heart, which he saw often with her sisters and close friends. Anytime she was hurt though, it was only revealed behind closed doors.

“She’s really pretty.”

“Nah,” he denied. “Something weird with her teeth. And her nose. Her bitchy personality on top of that drops her down to the bottom. Oh, and that nasally voice? Total turnoff.” 

“Thank you, Brick,” Blossom whispered as she looked up at him with big soulful eyes. His breath caught in a completely honest and open moment between the two. 

“Of course, it's just a fact.” He had to look away, suddenly focused on the pumpkin next to him. “How about we hit up some of the coasters and try to spy on Boomer?” 

“That sounds good, as long as I can have that last Oreo.” She was already reaching for it before he could agree.  
  
  
  
  


“So you’re telling me that I have to shoot all of those plastic birds to win the stuffed panda?” Buttercup, hands on her hips, asked the bored high school booth attendant. 

“Yep,” he responded, popping his gum. 

Butch raised an eyebrow at her. “This is my last dollar so I hope you get it first try.”

The pair had been at the booths for a while trying to collect all the giant stuffed animals. They beat the skee ball high score for the raccoon, the ring toss for the zebra, and the water gun race for the penguin. The panda was the last one on their list. Butch was resigned to carrying them all in his arms.

“You better get him down now, because he’ll be in my arms in a minute.” Buttercup handed her dollar to the attendant, who just went over to start the machine. The game was to take a low-powered BB gun and knockdown plastic birds that popped up, all in less than 60 seconds. She looked at the sky, which was getting dark, and smirked. 

“The game will begin now,” he said in a monotone voice as the booth came to life and the birds began popping up. 

Now, Buttercup’s aim was bad and she knew it, but that panda was calling to her. She shot at the first bird. While she missed to the right, she dipped her head and it fell over, the shadows behind it pulling it down. As she continued down the line of fowl, she continued to shoot and control the shadows. Butch picked up on her strategy halfway through, scoffing at her need to cheat yet impressed at her timing to trick the attendant, who was enthralled in the perfection of her round. 

As the last bird fell, she blew on the end of the toy gun and grinned. “One panda please.” With his jaw hanging, he pulled down the bear and handed it over. Pleased with herself, she took her new stuffed friend and squealed. Butch thanked the attendant and walked off with her towards the car.

“Blossom wouldn’t be happy with you.”

“Good thing I’m happy with myself.” She boosted the bear onto her shoulders, like a child. 

“Buttercup-” 

“Listen, Butch,” she cut him off. She turned to face him, panda jerking to face him. “Blossom has that ‘no powers unless in danger’ rule because of herself. Yes, I should be following it all the time, but we were given these powers to use at all times.”

“Buttercup-”

“ If I wasn’t meant to use them, they’d turn off not on the battlefield. So if Blossom wants to yell at me, then she can.”

He leaned down to kiss her, trying to silence her. It was just a quick peck but it did the trick. With his face close, he whispered, “Good thing I’m not Blossom then.” She stared back, ready to continue arguing her point, but giving up to kiss him back. 

“Yeah, can you imagine? Dating Blossom?” She shuddered. “She’d judge what you wore and how you smelled and how you sat.” 

Butch laughed, pulling out the car keys. “Yeah, that’s exactly why I’m dating you because you have no standards.”

“Hey! I have standards.”

“Oh yeah, like what?”

“Well you have to be tall enough to reach the top cabinets, let me beat them in tennis, and willing to give me all their cash to win giant stuffed animals that we have no room for.”

“I suppose those are important qualifications.”

“Thought so,” she smirked. “But like, actually, where are we putting these.” She looked at her lime green Chevy Bolt, which was too small to transport four people comfortably in, much less two people and four life-size plushies.  
  
  
  
  


As the sun was setting, Boomer and Bubbles got into line for the Ferris wheel. They noticed Blossom and Brick ahead of them, laughing about something they couldn’t hear.

“Odds they get together?” Bubbles asked, popping a fluff of cotton candy into her mouth.

“Honestly,” Boomer responded, leaning back against the waiting line rails. “I’m surprised they aren’t together already.”

“It’s because they don’t see how similar they are. Everything turns into an argument because they’re too stubborn.”

“I always thought it was because they were too different.” They stepped up further in line. “He’s too relaxed and she’s too strict, she’s organized and he’s late to everything, she’s well-spoken and he’s...he can be well-spoken when he wants.”

“But they’re both intelligent, have a good sense of humor, attractive if he’d cut his hair and stop wearing that hat.”

“I think the thing is glued to his head. And you know, he only refuses to cut it because she hates it.”

Bubbles giggled. “Of course, the ultimate hold he has over her.”

The two finally moved up to the front of the line, the attendant helping them step into their own car. As he snapped the gate shut, they began to move upwards. Bubbles squeezed his hand as they rose into the air, gaining a view of the campus, the city beyond, and the nearby waterfront.

“Bubbles, I was hoping to ask you a serious question.” He moved to sit across from her, pulling out a small box.   


“I promise, it's not a ring.” She laughed, but let him continue. “Bubbles, I’ve had a blast with you today. You’ve been my best friend since we were kids and I love spending time with you. Will you be my girlfriend?” He opened the box to reveal a silver necklace with a teardrop sapphire in the middle. 

“Boomer,” she said softly. “It's beautiful. And of course! I’ve been waiting for you to ask for years.”

He gasped. “Really? Have I just been blind this whole time.” He groaned, dropping his face into his hand. Bubbles placed her hand on his cheek.

“Yeah, but you’re worth the wait.” He peeked up, blushing brightly. He took the necklace out of the container, wrapping it around her neck. She pulled aside her hair as he clipped it, letting it hang down. She smiled brightly.

And then she did the simplest thing in the world. She leaned over and kissed him.

  
  
  
  
  


The pairs showed up at the rugby house for about an hour after it started. Buttercup and Butch had shoved all the animals in, all they had to do is have her sit on his lap as they drove. Bubbles and Boomer walked from the fair, enjoying the fresh air and time to place bets on who out of their group of six would get drunk first. Blossom and Brick rode over on her bike, having conquered the want to just buy another bag of fried Oreos and skipped passing the stands entirely.

As they stepped up to the house, Brick asked, “Are you going to be okay if Kevin is here?”

Blossom froze for only a moment. “Yeah, of course, if I see him…” She paused, thinking. What would she do? Slap him for dragging her along? Ignore him because he didn’t deserve to speak to her? Break down crying at his feet asking why she wasn’t enough?

“I’ll be right by your side, so if you need to, just squeeze my hand.” He extended his arm out to her. She nodded, hyping herself up, then gently took his hand in hers.    
  
“Right, let’s go find our crewmates.” They stepped along the sidewalk crowded with tipsy college students.

The rugby house was huge with 6 bedrooms, four bathrooms, and three living rooms. It was the perfect place for a schoolwide party. Rumors were that they even paid off the cops to stay away until 4 am. The rugby team sponsored the whole event, proud to put on the biggest party of the year; beer, wine coolers, a weird punch, and all the snacks purchased by them. The only donations they took was 24 packs of canned beer, which is what most of the underclassmen got drunk off because that’s all they were able to find. But the senior residents and those with an in on the rugby team knew where the good stuff was.

As the red pair stepped inside, they saw Butch waving them over to the stairs going to the upper floors. They snuck up to the farthest bedroom, then a ladder in there up to attic; there was a reason it was rarely found by accident. Only about 30 people stood in the attic, mostly just to get their special drinks and head off to the main events downstairs. 

“What’s your poison?” Daniel McMasters was the bartender, clad in a faux tux shirt and bright pink skinny jeans. He was the son of the dean, a sophomore on the rugby team, and an expert at the art of the cocktail. 

“Tequila sunrise,” the two sisters said at the same time. They bumped elbows with a chuckle. Brick just rolled his eyes.

“Moscow mule,” Butch said, looking to Brick for an answer. 

“Nah, I’m good for now.” He held up a hand, which Butch raised an eyebrow to.  _ Why is he so good at that?  _ Brick asked himself.

“I’ll get you a Shirley Temple to fit in,” Daniel said, already starting on the ladies’ drinks. Brick glared but Daniel missed it, flipping a bottle of Patron Silver in the air. He always knew that he was a showoff, only proving his point right now.

As the four took their drinks, they climbed back down where the music swelled up around them. Wandering throughout the second floor, they found all the bedrooms and two of the bathrooms. They were all mostly occupied by people lighting up or trying to find a secluded place to make out. As they passed by a bookshelf, Brick abandoned his drink on the highest shelf. 

In the living room, they found Bubbles and Boomer dancing along to the new BTS song. Bubbles dragged the grumpy looking Brick towards her. She was singing the lyrics but he had no clue what she was saying. Blossom stepped up next to him, her drink already half gone, and swayed side to side. She took his hand and forced him to move with her.

As the next song transitioned to Old Town Road, Buttercup finally came out to dance. Her and Butch downed their drinks before screaming the lyrics along with the rest of the crowd. The blue pair swam through the people to get their own drinks. Blossom finished her drink, already unable to stand fully on her feet. Brick was confused because he had seen her take shots and still be able to do cartwheels afterward. He was even shocked by how intense the greens were going at it.

Then he saw him: Kevin. He must have seen Blossom and headed towards them. Blossom had seen him too, grabbing Brick’s hand and squeezing. He gritted his teeth, forgetting that the young superheroine would be stronger than normal people. 

“Blossom, can I talk to you?” Kevin leaned in close to ask.

“She doesn’t want to talk to you.” Brick stepped in front of her. Kevin looked up at him, who was at least a good three inches taller than him.

“She can speak for herself.”

“You should’ve thought about wanting to talk before you lead her on.” Brick was tensing up, raising his free arm up. 

“That’s what I’m coming to talk with her about, I want to explain myself.”

“Fine,” Blossom said, stepping around Brick. He looked sternly at her. She gave Brick a slightly glazed look, but there was enough behind her eyes that made him drop his arm. She squeezed his hand one last time before letting go. Kevin led their way towards a hallway leading somewhere Brick hadn’t seen yet. Discomfort sat in his stomach. 

Blossom followed Kevin down the longest hallway ever. At least it felt super long, but it could’ve been short. She guessed that her drink had been stronger than normal because her head felt dizzy; she shook it off as Kevin pulled her into a small room at the end. It looked like a sunroom, with plants and outdoor furniture, but had thick curtains pulled down in front of the big glass windows.

“Blossom, I’m sorry about what you might have seen.” He sat down on the couch, patting her spot next to him. She plopped down, seeing the room swim.

“I just...why didn’t you...you left me at the fair…” It took a strained effort to complete a sentence. 

“Yes, you see, I had to start planning for something else. When did you get your drink?”

“When...came in...not sure…” Her thoughts weren’t straight. The corners of her vision blurred as she blinked, trying to stay seated upright.

“Well, by that time estimate, you should be…” Blossom lost control of her body, slumping over on the couch. Her eyes slowly closed as his words petered out. 

Kevin stood up, pulling out his phone. He typed in the number written in pen on his hand. The line only rang once before it was picked up.

“Update.” A robotic voice answered.

“She’s out cold, her friends are distracted.”

“Good. Take care of it.”

“Will do.” The line clicked off. Kevin took off his jacket, rolling his shoulders as he looked down on the unconscious girl before him. 

  
  
  


Brick shuffled around the house, searching for an available bathroom. He’s stumbled in on a cloud of smoke and a couple pounding on the counter top. He was hoping that he’d be able to find something usable because those backyard bushes were starting to look good. 

As he opened a door by the kitchen, he saw two people moving on a couch. “Sorry,” he piped out, looking down and closing the door. He stopped as he saw a pink helmet lying on the floor. He threw open the door, startling the guy. It was Kevin, front shirt unbuttoned, leaning over Blossom. Her eyes were closed, body unmoving, with her suit halfway off.

“You’re not supposed to-” he couldn’t finish because Brick’s fist collided with his nose. He fell to the floor, clutching his face in his hands. A plastic tube clattered on the floor. 

“You sick freak!” Brick kicked him in the side twice, making sure he wasn’t going to be getting up anytime soon. He noticed the tube, figured it was some kind of drug, and picked it up, hoping it would be evidence. 

“It’s not...I need to…” Kevin tried to explain as blood streamed out his nose. 

Brick didn’t listen, getting ready to pound him again. Then he remembered Blossom, turning back to her side. He pulled up her suit, guiding her arms through, and zipping up the front. Scooping her up, he quickly left the room. He charged out the backdoor, around the outside of the house where fewer people were, and found her bike. He fished out the keys from her pocket and started it up. Brick wanted to get her home as soon as possible, but he had to keep it slow; he had a tight grip around Blossom, curled up on his lap. 


	6. Hospital

Buttercup was pissed. She was constantly ready to join in a fight, just let her know when and where, no need for why. But when it came to her sisters, that’s when the why was her biggest drive. 

Butch received a call from Brick, right around when the alcohol was wearing off; that was the strongest cocktail she’d ever had. 

“Buddy, where you at?” Butch laughed out. Quickly his face dropped. “Shit, is she alright? Did you take her to the hospital? Good, good. We’re on our way.” 

“What’s wrong?” Buttercup asked.

“Blossom was taken to the hospital, she was drugged by that Kevin guy and Brick found them.”

Her vision went red. Immediately, she began searching for Kevin. People who saw her coming jumped out of the way; those that didn’t were physically trampled. She searched the house, interrupting couples making out and overindulgers throwing up. No sign of the “little bitch” that she kept murmuring to herself about.

Meanwhile, Butch found Boomer and Bubbles. He explained the situation and the trio decided not to drive there. Boomer ordered the Uber while Bubbles and Butch went to collect Buttercup. They found her in the attic, gripping Daniel’s collar.

“YOU WANT TO TELL ME WHAT YOU PUT IN HER DRINK OR YOU WANT ME TO KNOCK IT OUT OF YOU!” 

“I didn’t put anything crazy in there, I swear.”

“Buttercup-” Bubbled tried to reason, but Butch held her back.

“I HEARD SHE WAS OUT COLD, COMPLETELY UNCONSCIOUS SO YOU EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT EXACTLY YOU PUT IN THAT GLASS!” She shook him, kicking him in the shin, and lifted him up so he didn’t topple over. 

“It was Liquid G, okay? Nothing special. I was sent it and told under strict orders to put it in the pink Powerpuff chick’s drink.”

“Who sent it?” Butch stepped up. 

“I don’t know. One day, I get package in the mail with a picture of my parents and a vial. They say put it in the drink or they’ll get it. I wasn’t going to risk my family!” 

“That’s my family you put in danger!” Buttercup raised an arm. Butch grabbed her around the middle and pulled her away. Daniel fell to the floor, scrambling away. Buttercup thrashed around, trying to let her anger out on him. Butch carried her down the stairs and out of the house. By the time she had stopped trying to leave his grip, the Uber pulled up and grouped climbed in.

“That- UGH! How could he?” Buttercup yelled at the back of the carseat. Boomer, sitting in the passenger seat, offered a quick apology and a generous tip. Butch struggled to buckle her in and keep Bubbles calm; she was trying to hide it, but she was on the verge of tears.

“I can’t believe anyone would want to hurt her,” Bubbles sniffled. Butch pulled her into him as a side hug, rubbing her arm. 

“She’s safe now, at the hospital with Brick. You know he’s going to make sure that she’s well addressed.” He kissed Buttercup on the forehead, continued to hug Bubbles, and gave Boomer a concerned look. He first had to focus on keeping everyone sane, but the question was already digging into the back of his head: who was behind this?

  
  
  
  
  


“I need help!” Brick called as he charged into the emergency ward. A nurse beckoned him over to the counter, flipping through a file of papers.

“What’s the matter?” She asked. Then she looked up at the sight: and out of breath Brick carrying an unconscious Blossom, both in astronaut costumes. “Drinking at a party?” She paged a couple nurses to rush over.

“No, well yes but it was one drink and I know it was drugged. Some guy was trying to-” The nurses appeared with a stretcher and IV bag. They had him lay her down, checking her heart rate and blood pressure.

“40 bpm.”

“And bp of 70 over 60, let’s bring her in.” The nurses moved into action, moving the cart down the hall. Brick tried to follow, but the front desk nurse stopped him.

“I’m going to need her name, information-”

“I need to be with her!” Brick watched as she disappeared behind double swinging doors.

“Sir, they’re going to do a better job without someone around. Please give me her information, your information-”

“Her name is Blossom Utonium, commander and the leader of the Powerpuff Girls, and I’m Brick Jojo, the guy who shouldn’t have let her go off with a douchebag.”

“Who is her emergency contact? Can you contact them?” 

“Yeah, it's her dad...I can call him…”

“Okay, start by doing that and then come back to see me.” She went back to the computer, inputting information into her system.

Brick walked into the waiting area near the front. Rubbing his hands on his face, he was screaming internally at himself.  _ You knew he was bad. Why did you let her go? You couldn’t even protect her, you were just down the hall.  _

Pulling out his phone, he found The Professor in his contacts and called. He flopped down onto one of the vinyl cushioned chairs and waited until he picked up. The Professor answered promptly, cheery to hear from Brick until he told him the whole story. He was out of town at a conference but would be heading back tonight, estimating to be home the following evening. With a quick goodbye, they hung up and Brick felt even worse. He called Butch, thankful to get through, and explained the situation; with a promise to get there ASAP, he hung up as well. Then, it was only Brick.

  
  
  


“Mr. Jojo, you can follow me to Blossom,” a doctor said, prompting him down the hall. Brick, left for about half an hour to just worry, sprang up and followed closely behind.

“How is she? Is she awake? Are her vitals okay? She’s alive, right?” He raised panicked questions.

“She is still unconscious, and her bp is slowly returning to normal. Her heart rate is back in the normal sleeping range, but we’re not sure when she’ll wake up. Do you know what she was drugged with?” The doctor answered everything calmly, leading him down the halls. 

Brick pulled the tube from his pocket. “I’m not sure, but the guy who was using her had this.”

The doctor examined it, squinting at the tiny tube. “It appears to just be a chapstick container, so probably not this if he was holding it. It’s usually liquid or a powder.” He handed back the tube, which Brick repocketed. 

The two stepped into a brightly lit room with three nurses standing around a bed. Blossom was now lying in a hospital gown, costume thrown on the chair in the corner. They set up an IV drip and monitor with numbers and lined that Brick had no clue what it read.

“Right now, we’re going to flush out her system. If its a common date rape drug like GHB, we’ll be able to get her back to normal within the next few days. If she isn’t improving, then we’ll run tests on more rare ones.”

As the nurses filed out, the doctor patted him on the back and said, “You’re welcome to stay but make sure you take care of yourself too.” Then, he left. Brick could only nod, staring at Blossom. He should have said “Thank you,” or “I will,” but silence was all he could muster. 

With no one around to watch, he collapsed into the chair by the end of her bed. He moved it closer to her side. As he looked at her, he felt his adrenaline levels falling sharply. He laid his head down by her knee, keeping a watch on her. As his eyes blinked closed, he was soothed by the regular monitor beeps.

  
  
  
  
  


The four entered the hospital emergency entrance. The front desk staff immediately knew who they were looking for, sending them up to Blossom’s room. As they entered, the sight was heartwarming and heart wrenching.

“Oy, Brick, wake up.” Boomer is slightly shaking his brother’s shoulder. The redhead perked up, hair sticking up on his left side, as he grew aware of the rest of their group. 

“What’s the diagnosis? The doctor’s busy.” Bubbles asked.

“She…” He glances over at Blossom. “She was drugged by that sicko with what they think is GHB. They’re treating her for that now but I don’t know…” Butch motions him over to the backside of the room. Bubbles takes his place in the chair and Buttercup finds a rolling stool; they each take one of Blossom’s hands and talk to her about the night.

“What concerns you?” Boomer asks.

“This,” Brick pulls out the tube from his pocket. “Was dropped by Kevin as I knocked him off her. Doc said it was just a chapstick tube, but that doesn’t make any sense.”

Butch took the tube in his hand, looking at every angle. A quick glance shows it as an off-brand strawberry lip balm. Instead of a bright cap that was easy to pluck off, a small red button was in the middle. As he pressed it, a small thin needle popped out of the bottom. 

“What the heck!” Boomer hissed. As Butch depressed the button, the needle slid back inside.

“Bubbles, can you check her arms and neck for punctures?” Bubbles nodded and began her through search. After about 15 minutes of carefully looking at each patch of skin, she found over 10 holes.

“They’re so small, no one would notice without seeing the needle. But they’re identical on her wrists, elbows, shoulders, behind her ears, and on each side of her sternum.” 

“Just poking her wouldn’t do too much damage, right?”

“No, but if it's laced, the subcutaneous injection could be quite dangerous, if not lethal. But her vitals are getting back to normal, she doesn’t look sick, so I’m not too worried yet.”

Brick groaned, turning around and punching the cabinet on the wall. The door cracked, leaving it slightly off its hinges. He would have hit it completely off, but an arm grabbed his fist and pulled him back. 

“Let’s go get some coffee,” Buttercup commanded, dragging the angry boy next to her. He just groaned and followed along, leaving behind Butch to explain to the concerned nurse that they’d cover the door in the final bill.

As they walked through the halls, Buttercup didn’t start any conversation. She let him stuff his hands deep in the pockets of his space suit and glare at the gray floor tiles. They traced through each wing, giving them time to calm down and think. 

“Do you know where this Kevin kid lives?” She asked quietly as they reached the small cafe in the lobby of the hospital. 

“I thought he was living in the dorms.”

She ordered a handful of black coffees and fall drinks to take back up to their group, before turning back to Brick. “No, his parents’ home. If we can find them, we can seek out info from them.” 

He shook his head. “I have no clue, besides what if they don’t know?”

“I can’t imagine you wouldn’t know if your son was drugging people. At least we could see if he was hiding out there. I doubt he just went back to his room when he must know we’re looking for him, especially if he knows what’ll happen when we find him.” She collected the drinks on a tray, grabbing extra packets of sugar and creamer.

“What will we do when we find him?” Brick’s hand stung a little when he remembered the door, seeing his smug face in the material. 

“We’re the Powerpuff Girls and Rowdyruff Boys, what can’t we do?”


	7. Hospital Part 2

It was the longest day that Boomer had ever been through. He was not one to stay up all the time like his brothers. He had a set bedtime and routine that made sure he got enough sleep to be well-rested. The kids he worked with as a student-teacher kept his days interesting and wild enough to wear him out. However, with Blossom in her condition and Bubbles near tears at any moment, he made sure he would stay awake for everyone.

It didn’t help that he never drank coffee, or anything caffeinated, because an hour after he tried the pumpkin spice latte that Buttercup had handed him, he was practically bouncing off the walls. He couldn’t keep still, pacing around and flipping through every cable station and asking the nurses every fifteen minutes if Blossom would wake up soon. At one point, Butch could tell he was bothering the others and took him outside for a run. Boomer had never felt more awake while exercising and wondered to himself why he didn’t always drink coffee.

Then it hit him - the caffeine crash. He laid on the floor beside Bubbles, holding her hand giving the occasional squeeze of support while trying not to melt completely into the tiles. As he watched Buttercup down her third cup, he knew he could never be as strong as her and remembered why he didn’t drink coffee.

By the early afternoon, he was back to normal and felt time slowing down. He noticed that not much had changed. Buttercup had decided to take over the empty bed in the corner of the room, pulling it over to Blossom to sit on. Brick continued to stand in the back by the broken cabinet, never taking his eyes off of Blossom except to see who was walking by in the halls.

Butch and Bubbles left for about an hour to address the press who had heard that a Powerpuff Girl was in the hospital. Watching them back on TV about half an hour later, they saw as they discussed her stable condition, that they are not welcoming visitors, and will contact the press again when she wakes up. 

As early evening came, the Professor had finally arrived. He hugged his girls, placed a kiss on the top of Blossom’s head, and thanked the boys. Butch had given him a rundown of their interactions with Daniel and shown him the needle machine, which he turned over and over in his hands. 

“I’ll run my own tests on this when I get home.”

“I think you’re the only one we can actually trust right now,” Bubbles sighed.

The Professor smiled, patting her shoulder. “You six have each other, which is more important than having me around. Never go alone anywhere, under any circumstances. Always buddy up, even when going to lunch or the library.”

“What about for classes? Can’t just bring friends along with us there,” Buttercup argued.

“I’m going to contact the dean and see if there’s a special exception for remote learning for you. All of you.” He directed the last statement at the boys, who nodded thankfully.

“Now, you’ve all been here for too long. Go home, shower, change, get some sleep. I’ll stay while you all recharge.” Boomer couldn’t help but be excited by those words. He could definitely due to change out of this costume, and was sure everyone felt the same way. 

“I’ll stay with you,” Brick said, stepping up towards the bed. “Don’t want to leave you alone.”

The Professor opened his mouth to argue but Boomer responded first. “Okay, I’ll bring back a change of clothes and food for you.” Brick nodded, dropping down onto the bed. Butch had the ability to read almost everyone, but Boomer was the expert on Brick. He could see that he was willing to chain himself to Blossom if anyone tried to send him away. He could still see the guilt and fear in his eyes, even if his face was set to “Fight me.”

The Professor handed the group the keys to his car as the four had worked their way out of the room. 

  
  


The two sat in silence for a long time, background noise being filled by the Food channel Boomer left on and the hospital’s daily activity coming to an end. They stared at Blossom, who hoped that if they waited long enough, she’d wake up. 

“Thank you.”

“Hmm?” Brick looked over at the Professor. 

“Thank you for protecting my girl, for bringing her here, for knowing that something was wrong and figuring it out.” 

“Please, I shouldn’t have let her go off with him, it’s my fault from the start.”

“Nonsense,” The Professor said, staring directly at Brick. “She’s a grown adult who can make her own decisions. It wasn’t the right one, but I think we can agree that there’s a higher power working through that college student. She has those mature eyes that tell you to trust her, that says she always knows what to do, and she does, but sometimes she needs help.”

As Brick looked at the Professor, he could see that he had changed over the years. While he still had a boxy head with black hair, he had aged; white salted his hair, the wrinkles and lines more pronounced, the slight stubble poking through. His kind eyes were still there, just as they always had been. I could remember those first few years that they had become friends with the Powerpuff Girls. While he was shocked that they were friends with the creation of Mojo Jojo, he still welcomed them into his home and never discouraged the girls from getting to know them. 

“Yeah, that’s one of her best and most problematic features.” Brick muttered. The Professor laughed. Their awkward silence turned into a comfortable existence as they sat back and continued to wait. 

  
  
  


The next four hours passed by quickly. Flowers and cards began rolling in from people of Townsville, school friends of Blossom, and from the university administration themselves. Each one was vetted by Brick at the door, who checked each petal and stem for anything dangerous before the nurses could bring them into the room. The counters filled with the beautiful bouquets and the Professor read each of the cards, a sad smile sitting on his face.

The four had returned as well, much sooner than expected. Turns out, they all migrated to the girls’ apartment. Three would doze off on the couch while one showered and changed, cycling through until they were all clean and slightly rested. Boomer had assembled sandwiches using most of the ingredients from the fridge, which created both good and bad combinations. Buttercup brought out her secret stash of candy from under her bed, which Blossom would not have approved of, to add as a sort of side dish to the sandwiches. Brick was given an outfit that he had forgotten he even owned as Blossom had borrowed them after crashing at their place one late study night. A nurse gave him a towel and access to the bigger bathroom so he could at least shower.

When he returned, he was hit with the smell of all those flowers and the sound of content conversation. Mostly it was them either praising or criticizing Boomer’s culinary ability; Butch had gotten one with ham, cheese, and mayo while Buttercup had gotten only a thick layer of lettuce.

“Is this you trying to trick me into eating vegetables? Because I won’t have it!” Buttercup waved the sandwich around. 

“I didn’t know which one was which, and I was running out of ingredients,” Boomer explained, holding up his hands.

“And he’s running on no sleep after a caffeine crash, can’t really blame him,” Butch added.

“Oh, I can and I will.”

“Just try a different one, maybe it’ll be better.” The Professor offered.

“Nope, I’m only going to eat candy and nothing else now. I can only trust these pre-wrapped little treats to be exactly what I expect.”

“I got a cricket in a sucker one time, so I wouldn’t always trust it,” Boomer said.

“Boomer, you thought it was just an oddly shaped tootsie pop and didn’t believe me when I told you it was a bug. I think that one’s on you.”

Everyone’s heads whipped around as they heard Blossom murmur. Her eyes were barely open, blinking slowly, but she was awake. Finally, she was awake.

“BLOSSOM!” Bubbles and Buttercup squealed, launching themselves onto the poor girl, squeezing her tightly. She gasped sharply, making the girls pull away slightly but stay right by her side. Butch went into the hallway to call the doctor and nurses over. Boomer hugged Blossom’s leg and the Professor patted her on the head. Brick stood, unbreathing as he stared at her. She stared back with questioning eyes.

“Why are we in a hospital?”

“Do you remember the party last night?” Buttercup asked.

“Yeah, Brick and I rode over...we got drinks and we danced…I saw Kevin…” Her eyes squeezed shut as remembered something, a deep shudder running through her body. She kept her eyes closed as she continued, “and then I passed out, woke up here.” She opened her eyes but Brick no longer saw confusion. It was a cold dark look that meant she knew exactly what happened. 

Three nurses and the doctor came in, with the girls stepping back from the bed. Boomer took Bubbles' hand, offering to take her for a walk around the hospital while leaving the doctors alone. Buttercup, Butch, and the Professor decided to go grab some more coffee and a real hot meal from the cafeteria. Brick stayed behind, watching the medical professions ask hundreds of questions and reexamining her. Blossom answered every one calmly and honestly, except for remembering any time from when she went off with Kevin until now. Eventually, they left, telling Brick that they wanted her to stay overnight to continue to recover.

Blossom laid back, staring at the ceiling. Brick approached her side and she grabbed his hand, using his support to sit up. She tapped the side of the bed, where he sat down. She continued to hold his hand, staring at the blankets covering her legs. She curled up, tucking her body into itself, growing smaller. Brick noticed and tilted his head to follow her face.

Tears began welling up and streaming down her cheeks. She tried to pull away, to go fully fold in on herself. Brick wouldn’t let that happen. He gently pulled her towards him, wrapping his arms around her. She fought it for only a moment before breaking down on his shoulder. He lifted her onto his lap, rocking back and forth as she gripped his shirt tightly. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi y'all, I just wanted to give a quick thank you to the loyal readers who keep popping back in as I update. Each chapter will be posted randomly; I don't have a regular upload schedule because school has weird workloads right now. I try to update as often as I can but please bare with me. Meanwhile, each chapter is pretty short as I'm trying to get content out more frequently rather than waiting long periods of time in between each post. Please continue to comment, telling me what you like and what can be improved as it helps me become a better writer and make better chapters that you want to read. Also, if a certain section gets boring, please please please let me know as that is the last thing I want and am willing to edit older chapters as I go along. Thank you for over 500 hits and 15 kudos, it's well appreciated :)


	8. Apartment

It was early the next evening when Blossom was finally discharged from the hospital. Her vitals had returned to normal and she finished answering the third round of questions. She was able to put on real clothes that her sisters had brought, leave her room, and go out into the sunlight. She didn’t know she could miss it within two days. 

The group had waited with her through the whole night, mostly passed out on the spare bed. Butch made the bottom layer, with Bubbles and Boomer cuddling up on each side and Buttercup curled up on top. It was impressive that no one rolled off or collapsed the bed. The Professor had dozed off in the chair, getting up every few hours to stretch and walk around the hospital. 

Brick had stayed in Blossom’s bed, laying back and keeping her tucked into his shoulder. She cried until she grew tired, passing out on top of him. Brick slipped in and out of sleep, waking up every time she moved or a loud noise came from the hallway. She would simply hum and shift slightly, giving him the okay to close his eyes again. They finally awoke properly around 10 when her stomach growled. 

“I guess not eating real food for a day will do that to you,” she said with a joking tone.

He smiled. “I’ll go get some real food. I doubt it’ll be good to just eat...this.” He picked up Buttercup’s bag of candy, which only had Milk Duds and Dots left at the bottom.

“Thank you, Brick.” As he got up from the bed and left the room, she felt cold. She already missed his comforting warm arms.  _ What am I thinking?  _ She thought to herself, shaking her head. The lack of him made her think of Kevin, leaning over her, touching her with that- 

“No!” She squealed out loud, waking up Buttercup. She lifted her head up, looking around at Blossom.

“Are you okay?” She asked, climbing down from the stretcher, attempting to not wake anyone else up. 

“Yeah, yeah, it’s fine, I’m fine.” She ran her hands through her hair, curling up at the top of the bed. Buttercup sat criss cross in front of Blossom, running a hand through her own long hair. 

“What do you think if I got it cut super short again? Like it was when we were little?” 

“I think that’d be super cute, fit the rest of your punk aesthetic,” Blossom supported. “Oh, and save on shampoo.”

“Maybe that’s what we’ll do when we get home.” Buttercup laughed when she saw Blossom’s eyes widen to saucers. “I’m kidding, kidding.” She patted her sister’s leg. Although, she was considering if that was going to be a lie in the end. 

“But seriously, are you okay?”

Blossom shivered. “I...I remember some things...with Kevin,” she whispered, glancing over at the sleeping group. 

“Do you want to talk about it?”

She shook her head to reply, turning her eyes down to the blanket. “I’d rather just forget about it. I need a shower, fuzzy pajamas, and a grilled cheese sandwich.” The two laughed.

“I’ll take the same. I just showered yesterday, but being in a hospital makes me feel gross.” Buttercup shuddered and smiled. 

Brick entered carrying two trays stacked with food. “I’ve got pasta, sushi, soups - stayed away from the sandwiches because I don’t trust them anymore - some breakfast items and half a baguette because carbs are important. I wasn’t sure what you’d be craving.” He looked up at the two girls giggling at him. “What?”

“Nothing, it’s just really thoughtful.” Blossom smiled, causing Brick to heat up slightly. It was an honest, real smile, that much he could tell. He was worried that he wouldn’t see any of those again soon, so he stared at her to lock-in that image.

“Well, I don’t want to get harassed about the limited options. Especially by a certain raven haired girl.”

“I would only harass you,” she said, breaking off a chunk of bread. “If you hadn’t brought this.” She crossed the room to wake up the three sleeping beauties. Boomer shot up as soon as he smelled carbonara and scrambled over. Butch and Bubbles just rolled over and laid in a half-sleeping state. Buttercup took her bread and phone and cuddled up to Butch, who pulled her in with his arm. She fed him bites as she scrolled. 

  
  
  
  


As they entered the girls’ apartment, they began to say their goodbyes to the Professor. He had another conference to rush off to; it took Blossom about twenty times to assure him that he was allowed to leave and she would be alright. Butch had promised himself that the girls would never be left alone again. 

“That’s a bit misogynistic, ain’t it?” Bubbles asked.

“Yes,” Butch answered straightforward. “But if it makes your dad feel better and ensures your safety, then I’ll do anything.” He kissed her on the top of her head before heading out with Buttercup; they had to go pick up their car and Blossom’s bike. 

Blossom headed straight for the bathroom. She took her stress relief body wash and new loofa with her. Although it wasn’t a stress free event. Everytime she closed her eyes, she felt the images flooding back. She scrubbed and scrubbed at her skin, turning it pink from exfoliation. It took almost an hour, and while she didn’t feel fully clean, she stepped out of the shower. She put on fuzzy christmas pajama pants and an oversized tee shirt on. 

“Bubbles, will you braid my hair?” She asked, leaving the bathroom with a brush in her hair. Bubbles, who was flipping through Hulu, smiled and nodded enthusiastically. Blossom sat down on the floor in front of the couch, handing her the brush and crossing her legs. Brick and Buttercup had returned, cooking something that smelled delicious. 

“We’re gonna put on Love Island, if you’re okay with that,” Boomer said, which Blossom replied with a nod. She had a grilled cheese set on the coffee table in front of her, with a smile from Brick.

Suddenly, she found herself in her favorite spot. Bubbles playing with her hair, Buttercup and Butch yelling at the contestants on the screen that definitely couldn’t hear them, Boomer laughing at everything the charming hosts were saying, and Brick sitting right nex to her cringing at the lame reality tv drama. And of course, a pile of grilled cheeses in front of her. 

Once Bubbles finished her hair, she moved to Brick. She removed his hat and felt his thick locks run through her fingers. As she brushed through it with her fingers, she felt very few tangles and how soft it was. She was curious as to why he wasn’t objecting; normally, she’d only get the hat off before he’d throw himself halfway across the room. 

Then she noticed; the redheaded pair had interlaced fingers. Blossom looked positively stoked, engaged in the show and nibbling on her sandwich. Brick was frozen, unmoving as to not break the moment, with his cheeks brushed light pink. Bubbles took the opportunity and finished up his hair quickly. 

Blossom noticed the movement when Bubbles sat back, checking out his new do. A big grin rose on her face as she saw his beautiful fishtail braid hanging over his shoulder. Brick noticed, ready to pull it out. But left it just to see her smile each time she glanced over. He moved his hand over to her shoulder, pulling her into him more. Resting her head on his shoulder, she could only think,  _ perfect. _

  
  
  


They finally all went to bed around 2am. Taking turns showering and watching the show, they were finally packed with enough cheese, drama, and stress relief smells to put them to sleep. 

And the boys were serious about not leaving them alone, deciding to all stay the night. The greens cuddled up in Buttercup’s room and Bubbles invited her partner to sleep with her. Brick and Blossom agreed that it would be good if he slept on the couch; she wanted to be independent and he would be right by the door in case someone came knocking.

“You both are too stubborn,” Buttercup said as she filled up her water bottle. She was wearing the 

“What do you mean?” Brick asked, laying out the blankets on the couch. 

She came closer, whispering. “You want to be in there, comforting her. She wants you in there with your arms wrapped around her.”

“Pssh, no she doesn’t.”

“Even without the weekend’s events, I think she wouldn’t mind a cuddle every now and then.” Brick gazed at the closed door, light pouring out through the cracks. He shook his head, sitting down on the couch. 

“I’m not going to force anything,” he admitted. 

“ _ I knew it. _ ” Buttercup cackled as she bounced up and down.

“I don’t like her or anything. I just don’t like seeing her in pain.” He collapsed back on the cushions with a sigh.

“Uh-huh, sure. I don’t doubt you care about her. But I think it's been more than that. You’re just delaying the inevitable.” Buttercup gave a little wave before returning to her room. She left him behind with a thoughtful look on his face. Closing the door, she let out another happy squawk. 

“What’s up?” Butch asked, laying on the bed and writing on his laptop. 

“Just...them.” She collapsed on the bed next to him. Peeking at his laptop, she saw an article open with the title “How To Leverage An Industrial-Organizational Psychologist” and tried not to physically gag. 

“You know they’re going to take another 4 months to admit anything to each other,” he commented, still typing away. The way he was able to multitask thoughts was amazing. 

“Can’t we just push them together? He admitted to me that he wished she’d reach out more. So we just need to physically push them together. Can’t you read an article on that type of psychology?”

He laughed. She pushed him, almost knocking him off the bed. He scrambled to stay upright and hold his laptop, but she just laughed at him. He closed the computer and set it on the side table, turning to face her with eyes drawn.    


“Oh, it's on.” The two started a wrestling match, trying to knock the other out of the bed. 

  
  
  


The sound of a lamp crashing in the room across the hall made both Bubbles and Boomer concerned, but not enough to actually leave the warm bed. They had snuggled up, in between her multitude of stuffed animals and beneath a pile of blankets. On Boomer’s computer, they followed down a rabbithole of BTS dance practice videos. 

“Do we go check on them?” Boomer asked.

Bubbles shook her head. “Either they’re fighting or making out so I’m not going to get in the middle of that.”

He hummed in agreement, pulling Bubbles in closer to him as he clicked on the BTS countdown they’d been waiting for. 

  
  
  
  


Blossom puttered around her room. She reorganized her vanity, changed the sheets on her bed, and decided on her outfits for the next week. Anything to keep from going to sleep. After opening her new Ipsy makeup sampler, she had finally run out of tasks to complete in her room. She stepped out into the hallway to put her package’s wrapping in the kitchen trash can. 

Brick was laying on the couch, hands running through the tassels on a pillow. His eyes were focused on the ceiling. Her eyes fell to his braid, still intact, hanging over the edge of the couch. That brought a smile to her face.

The sound of her door closing grabbed his attention and he turned to face her. “You good?”

“Oh, yeah, just throwing this away,” she said, holding up the trash. He nodded, watching as she moved to the trash. Then she noticed the dirty pans in the sink. She turned on the faucet and grabbed the sponge off the counter. Brick moved from the couch and leaned against the counter bar that jutted out into the little dining space that they had used for recreation: Blossom’s sewing machine, Bubble’s weight equipment, and Buttercup’s extra bookshelf filled with all their textbooks and academic materials.

“I’m surprised you’ve been able to miss this much work.” Blossom started the conversation, avoiding the silence.

“I spoke to Sal and he said that he’ll fill in the line at the pizza place until Wednesday.” 

“What about the diner?” She scrubbed hard at the burnt cheese stuck around the rim.

“Boomer full-out quit because he accepted an on-campus tutoring job. It pays way less but he’ll be closer Butch is applying for a research position with his psych professor, and since he has 104% in the class I’m pretty sure he’ll get it.”

“And you?”

He rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled. “I...got fired.”

“What?” She gaped at him.

“I fought with a customer and they filed a complaint with the owner and...it was just easier to let me go. So, now I’m looking for a new job. The Starbucks down the block is hiring so I’ll be heading there tomorrow to fill out an application.”

“Aw, Brick. I’m so sorry.” Blossom wished she could help him, but he never accepted monetary assistance. 

With a father like Mojo Jojo, the boys weren’t really left with a financial plan after he passed away. The superpowered boys they were, they looked after themselves since they were 14 years old. The Professor looked after them, finding them a place to stay and ensuring their landlords that they would behave. 

Brick was the first one to get a job, a dishwasher at a bar. He learned to clean, serve drinks, even worked as a bartender for a few years until the owners retired. Since then, he’s worked a server for a 5 star restaurant, chinese delivery driver, lawn mower, and retail assistant. The other boys had found the job at the diner and worked there since they were 15. With Brick spending most of his time working, it had taken him longer to develop a good relationship with the girls. He was especially jealous of Blossom, who flaunted all of her free time in his face. Once she learned that he was working to support the three of them - rent, food, and car payments added up - she felt sympathetic and stopped. 

“You’ve always had more than one job, right?”

“Mm-hmm. Ever since I worked at that bar, I can’t put all my eggs in one basket. Although I can’t have more than four baskets though, I learned that one the hard way after I showed up for a fine dining event wearing a yellow vest and cargo shorts.”

Blossom laughed, placing the thoroughly cleaned pan on the drying rack. Brick stepped over, taking a clean towel and wiping it down.

“Oh, you don't have to.”

“If I don’t, you’ll just use it as another excuse to stay awake longer.”

She stayed quiet because it was true. She moved onto the plates.

“Why are you awake? I thought you would be exhausted.”

Blossom bit her lip, debating on how much to share with him. She looked over and the concern in his green eyes convinced her to speak the truth.

“Every time I close my eyes, I see him. I can still feel his hands on me, pushing off my clothes and jabbing a needle into my skin. I wasn’t unconscious at first. Frozen in place without being able to move or speak or-” her hands began to shake and she dropped the plate. She leaned forward, gripping the edge of the counter. Her eyes were squeezed shut, attempting to erase the memories. 

“Blossom, I don’t want to trigger you so if you want me to stop, tell me.” Brick said in a calm tone. A hand was then placed on the middle of her back, rubbing small circles. Her grip lessoned until she was just using it to rest her hands on. He didn’t stop and she didn’t ask him to. 

“Let’s put on a movie, okay?” He guided her over to the couch, flipping on the TV and putting on Clue.Her favorite movie for when she was sad. He tucked her in with a blanket, running over to her room to bring a stuffed animal frog over to her.

Blossom couldn’t believe how patient he was being with her. He finished the dishes, dried them off himself, made them both a cup of tea, and sat down next to her. She held the warm delicately and sniffled. Tears dripped down her cheeks and onto the blanket below. 

“Hey, you can’t cry now. The first murder is about to happen.” Brick tried to lighten the mood, stroking her cheek with his hand. He paused the movie, turning his full attention to her. 

“You’re being too nice, I don’t deserve this.” Sobs rolled through her as she cried.

“Are you kidding me?” He said after giving her a minute to get the worst of the tears out. “After everything you’ve been through because of one asshat? You deserve the moon right now but I’m no astronaut.”

“What happened to the Brick that pulled my hair and called me ugly?” She sniffed, trying to stop the waterworks.

“He’ll be back once you’re back to trying to destroy my hat, which I’ve hidden for tonight.”

She glanced behind him and saw the brim poking out from under a blanket. 

“It’s right there, isn’t it?”

“Crap, you’re too smart for this.”

The weird sensation of laughing while crying worked Blossom’s sad tears into happy ones. Brick kept a hand on her face, lightly running his thumb against her cheek. Her eyes began to sting and the tears subsided. She wiped her face on her sleeve and decided she was done. 

“Okay, we can watch the murder now.”

“Finally,” Brick said with no hint of annoyance. He started up the movie, pulled her closer to his side, and rubbed her arm. She sipped her lavender tea and traced the letters on his sweatpants while listening to Tim Curry’s luscious tones.

  
  
  
  


At dawn, Butch came out from the room to find the redheads in a folded pile on the couch. Brick cross legged with his head on the back of the couch. Blossom had snuggled into his side and her head was rested on his lap. He chuckled to himself as he left out the front door for a morning jog.


	9. Kevin's House

“So this is the place?” Brick asked, pointing at a house on the corner. It was a standard two-story brick house in a suburban neighborhood. Nothing stood out about it except for the red Japanese maple in the front yard.

“That’s the address he had listed,” Buttercup answered, putting her car into park and unfastening her seatbelt. 

It had been a week since the group had settled in at home and things were returning to normal. Butch had been attending classes with Bubbles and Blossom, swapping out with Boomer when they had class. Bubbles took Boomer with her to the animal shelter she worked at, Blossom dragging Butch to student government senate meetings.

Buttercup and Brick had been using their spare time to find out Kevin’s schedule and as much background on him as possible. They asked his rugby housemates, his classmates, and stalked all of his online profiles. However, within the last few days had all been wiped clean. No pictures, no posts, not even a bio. Buttercup had access to the school’s student database and found his home address. Skipping their Wednesday morning classes, they drove out to visit his parents’ home, almost an hour outside of Townsville.

They walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell. 

No answer. 

“Maybe they didn’t hear it,” Buttercup said before pressing the button repeatedly.

No answer.

After waiting for a few minutes, Buttercup reached for the door handle.

“Buttercup, you can’t just-” Brick stalled as he saw her easily turn the knob and open the door. Unlocked. She shrugged and stepped inside. He checked for if a neighbor was watching; seeing no one, he followed her inside. 

“What the heck…” She stepped quietly throughout the bare house. There was no furniture or pictures on the walls. Scratches on the floor, faded paint on the walls, dust patches all proved that someone had until recently lived here. They moved to the second floor, finding the first bedroom empty. The walls were decorated with stickers of footballs and basketballs and the letters spelling out Kevin carved into the door. 

“This is definitely the place,” Brick started. “But what happened to them?”

“When I learned he hadn’t been seen around school this week, I thought he’d just be home. But I suppose no one is home.” Buttercup paced around the room. 

“There was no listing for it so they’re not selling it.” Brick opened the closet door and looked around. He was about to close it when a door on the ceiling caught his eye. He reached up, grabbed the small handle, and yanked it down. The door fell, a ladder extending to the floor. The hole was just wide enough for him to climb up into.

“Attic?” Buttercup suggested, immediately climbing up the ladder. Brick followed close behind her. He was only breaching the top when he heard her scream and scurry backward. 

“Brick, look!” As he entered the small attic space, his gaze followed her outstretched arm. He blanched as he saw two bodies lying in the corner. Their heads were covered by pillowcases and hands tied together. A dark red stained the slanted wall behind them. 

“Buttercup...this is....”

“We have to tell someone.”

“How do you explain that we climbed into their attic?”

“I-I don’t know, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.” She sniffed, eyebrows drawing in confusion. “Do you smell something?”

Brick sniffed, leaning down over the attic’s door. He could see wisps of smoke entering the bedroom below. “Something’s burning.” He moved towards the small window in the attic that overlooked the front yard. A black van was parked across the street, with two people jumping into the back before slamming the doors shut. It sped off as soon as the occupants were inside.

“And someone just set us on fire.” He huffed, stepping onto the first rung of the ladder. “Move them over here and I’ll carry them out.”

“What do you mean? We have to get out of here!” 

“I’m not going to just let them burn!” He stopped.   


“Listen, Brick, they’re gone!” She climbed down the ladder, jumping into the bedroom below.

“They don’t deserve this!” He grabbed the couple, one at a time, and slid them down the ladder to the bedroom. He climbed down and hoisted them up each on a shoulder. They were heavy, nearly reaching his limits. Buttercup groaned but didn’t argue any further as she led him out of the room. 

Flames had started to lick up the staircase. Smoke was thickening around their heads. Brick raised his hand, using his powers to extinguish a path through. He tried to move the smoke out of the way but was being drained by holding the couple. Buttercup used her sleeve to cover her mouth, Brick tucking his hoodie collar up to his nose, as the two scurried down the stairs.

“Front door!” He called, continuing to make a path through the kitchen and halls to the entrance. He could only smother a few feet at a time. The flames licked at their feet and sides. Brick wasn’t worried about getting hurt, but dropping someone. He grew weaker and weaker as they moved. 

“Ow, fuck!” She cried out in pain as her hand touched the searing handle of the front door. Brick reached across, opening the door himself and pushing them outside. He made sure they reached the sidewalk before stopping. They collapsed to the ground, on the grass just beside her car. 

“Ahhh,” she groaned, looking at the scarlet burn on her palm. He moved his hands over it, drawing the heat out. The color died down and the pain faded to a numb tingling. She looked up at him, amazed.

“A benefit to fire powers, you can’t be hurt by it,” he explained. She held her hand delicately to her chest. He dialed 911 as they sat in the grass and watched the house go up in flames. 

  
  
  
  
  


Three hours were spent talking to firefighters, police officers, and an EMT. Buttercup had slight burns on her legs and the main one on her hand, plus the smoke inhaled in her lungs. She was only upset about the rubber melting on her Converse. Brick was fine, minus the scorched pants and shoes. 

They had to explain to the firefighters how they noticed the fire, what they smelled, how it moved, what color it was. While Buttercup sat with an oxygen tank, Brick explained everything he could. They thanked him and went back to cleaning up as much debris as they could. An ambulance had packed up the deceased couple and taken them off to the morgue; Buttercup hoped Kevin’s family would appreciate it.

When the EMT was finished and released, the police came over for questioning. They were asked the standard questions. What were you doing here? “Our friend Kevin had been missing class this week and we wanted to check up on him.” How did you get inside? “The front door was cracked open so we decided to go inside to see if something was wrong.”

“Did you happen to see who set the fire?” The first officer asked.

“There were at least three people, a driver and the two who started it, but they all took off in a black van before I could see them.”

“Can you describe the van?” The second officer continued. 

“A traditional work van, completely black without any numbers or logos. Didn’t see the license plate or the driver. It was completely generic.”

“Are you sure there was a van?”

“What do you mean?” He asked, crossing his arms. 

“Well, with your abilities, you could conjure up a fire out of thin air, right?” The first officer pointed his pen at him.

“I haven’t set anything on fire on purpose in years. I was a kid when I did that.” Brick tried to defend himself, realizing that he barely had a case to stand on. It wasn’t his fault he was made by a supervillain.

“Hey, officers, we can’t appreciate you more putting your whole effort into this. However, would we be able to give our official statement later after we change and rest up?” Buttercup put on her sweet-talking adult tone and flashed a smile. That combined with her bandaged hand and singed clothing gave her the best possible impression.

The officers scribbled down on their pads. “Sure Miss Buttercup, please come down to the station tomorrow morning to make your formal statement. Both of you.”

“Will do,” She agreed, pulling Brick back towards the car. They opened the doors and sat inside, taking in a deep breath

“I didn’t even do anything wrong but I feel like a criminal,” Brick huffed.

“Isn’t this a boost to your bad boy persona?” She grinned as he rolled his eyes.

“It’ll take a miracle to remove the Rowdyruff Boy reputation.” 

“What, you want to get rid of it? I love it.” She cackled as they zoomed off towards home, already planning on getting McDonald’s for their long ride home.


End file.
